


World Asunder

by MundyBundy



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-27 00:35:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14413851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MundyBundy/pseuds/MundyBundy
Summary: Iruka turned with a sudden chilling realization, and saw the door to the staircase left open. Another cool breeze brushed over him like the breath of some great dangerous beast, and he swallowed anxiously. The air felt thick, almost like water flowing around him. Iruka faintly remembered as he looked into its black depths that the door wasn’t supposed lead to anywhere, there should just be a brick wall behind it. Instead of closing the door and forgetting about it, he took a breath and started ascending.Modern/Fantasy AU: Iruka lives an average life until one day when he goes through a door to another world...





	1. Chapter 1

The screeching of the subway car as it thundered along its tracks was hysterically loud. It sounded just like a thousand birds chirping all at once, or perhaps more like that horrendous noise made when a knife slips against a plate. The one that makes your tongue taste funny and the inside of your ears itch. Iruka hated the subway, but didn’t live close enough to walk to work. So he settled for cramming into a tin can forty feet below ground and zooming around the city at unsafe speeds. 

The subway has its own kind of beauty though. It was almost hypnotic, with the steady sway of the car as it rides along the track and the flashing of blue and white lights from far inside the tunnels. They let off just enough light to trick you into thinking something is there in the dark expanse of tracks. Maybe it’s an oversized rat, skittering along, but probably nothing. 

He hears the screeching again, and then feels the pull of the breaks, making everyone lean one direction to brace for a stop. Iruka thinks it must be an old subway car if it’s making such a racket. 

But when living in a big city, you quickly begin to expect such a ridiculous amount of noise.

You begin to expect crowds, and traffic, and short tempers. You understand the reasons for stepping around someone walking slow on the street, you all of a sudden get why you might spend a lot of your time in a tin-can barreling through the ground. 

Iruka worked downtown, which was nice because it was quieter than the city center and it was near the water. His building even had a lovely view of the bay, however Iruka’s cubicle only had a lovely view of the other cubicles. It was a mid-size marketing firm with a few notable clients, none in Iruka’s portfolio though. He only had claim over short term packages.

If you asked him he’d tell you he was happy. He had an alright job, a few good friends, and was even planning a trip for himself to a mountain spa in a few months. If he could scrape up enough money for it. 

He would say, quite proudly, that he was finally moving out of his shared apartment and into one of his own. The building was near condemned, and in the oldest part of town, but that sort of thing was in these days, right? 

Either way, Izumo and Kotetsu we’re getting pretty serious and he felt obliged to move out into his own space and give them their privacy. 

The subway car emptied out at his stop, and in a rush of identical black suits and polished loafers, Iruka made his way above ground and began the short outdoors portion of his journey. 

Despite the shining sun it was cold. Freezing in fact. Banks of snow that had somehow managed to collect between the buildings made already small sidewalks even smaller while crowds of business people who each had a place to be hurried through. Iruka had grown used to the claustrophobic race. 

Once inside his building he scanned his badge and rode the elevator up to the 30th floor, same routine as always, and he settled into his desk prepared for an uneventful day. 

Three cups of coffee, five expense reports, and a lunch box later and Iruka was nearly done with his workday, sighing regularly as he checked the time. 

Nearly there, he thought. He decided to take a small break, stretch his legs out, and walk around the office saying hello to the few friends he had in the company, inquiring about their weekend plans, the usual office banter.

“When do you move into your new place Iruka? You sign the contract yet?” A woman who had more pictures of her children on her desk than actual paperwork asked. 

“This weekend! I’ve signed, given the deposit, and all my stuff is boxed up ready to go. I can’t wait to see the place,” He gushed, happy to have something new to talk about. She looked at him with a small amount of doubt. 

“Wait… you haven’t… seen it?” 

“Ah, well no not it person. It was a really good price and the landlady said she had other inquirers so…” He scratched at his nose, a little worried she would think of him as idiotic for making such a rash decision. 

“Oh Iruka… “ She tutted, “Big mistake, mark my words!” He frowned, the small amount of optimism he held onto fading quick. “Well, just be sure to check for mold, buy a carbon monoxide checker… and set some rat traps while you’re at it,” 

He nodded, suddenly very uninterested in continuing the conversation. 

When he arrived home, or at Izumo and Kotetsu’s apartment as it now was, he sighed and toed his shoes off, loosening his tie while he made his way in. 

“Ruka? That you?” Izumo’s voice came from the kitchen. He answered with a vague groan. “I’ll take that as a yes, or there’s a very grumpy intruder in our apartment,” 

“Funny,” Iruka grumbled, walking around piles of boxes to plop down on the couch. Every item he owned was boxed up and ready to be moved in. It made him incredibly anxious. 

Kotetsu wandered out from his bedroom to sit next to Iruka. 

“Hey buddy, how was work?” He asked, nearly draping himself over Iruka. 

“Okay, same as always,”

“You ready for tomorrow?” Kotetsu asked with a grin, excited for him. In the morning a moving truck would arrive and Iruka would officially be moved out. 

“Yeah, can’t wait.” He said with a tired smile. He’d been working towards this for months now. Kotetsu played with Iruka's hair absentmindedly, not that he minded at all. 

"Your hair's gotten so long Ru, you gonna cut it any time soon?" It was true, he hadn't gotten a cut in a while, his hair fell past his ears now. It was purely out of forgetfulness, not having the spare time to go get a proper trim. For years he'd kept it short, it was just more practical.

"Yeah, in a few days, it's getting really bad, I know," 

"Looks kinda good, you should just grow it out since you're already this far in," Iruka made a face, but considered it. He probably couldn't keep the hair at work, as much as he wondered what he would look like. 

 

The three friends had known each other since infancy, growing up in a children’s home together. Izumo and Kotetsu don’t remember their parents at all, but Iruka had some memories that still stuck to him. Every so often he’d dream about them, and wake up with tears in his eyes. On those nights he would show up in Izumo and Kotetsu’s bed between them, receiving all the love and support two best friends could ever offer.

When they had told him they were dating, it wasn’t a surprise, and he was truly happy for them. But he couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit more lonely after. Seeing them being affectionate and loving made his chest ache. 

“Dinner’s ready!” Izumo shouted from the kitchen. He had made tempura and a simple ramen, trying to imitate Iruka’s favorite dish. It wasn’t exact, but it was perfect. 

—

The next morning all three men loaded the boxes into a van and drove it across town, through ridiculous traffic, to get to Iruka’s new place. 

As they were getting close, Izumo and Kotetsu exchanged concerned looks. The area they were in had seen better days, to put it nicely. Every other building was boarded up or demolished and the roads were cracked and split. It was the oldest part of the city, nearly abandoned and rumored to be haunted. 

The two stayed quiet while Iruka navigated for them. 

“It’s that one, at the dead end!” He said, pointing out the window to an ornate and ancient looking apartment building. You could tell that it had been a single home at point, but like every other standing apartment on the block it had been separated by floor and rented out. 

They parked the van in front and got out cautiously, looking around for a sign of life. Iruka, seemingly blind to all this, walked right up to the building and knocked on the door. 

After a minute or two, the door opened to reveal his landlady, looking like she wasn’t expecting him nearly this early. 

“Hi, I’m Iruka… your new tenant,” He said tentatively, and she seemed to remember him suddenly. She was older, but he couldn’t begin to guess how old. Her figure must have been incredible under the robe and sweatpants she was wearing. Her blonde hair was up in a messy bun, and Iruka noticed a small tattoo on her neck of a design he had never seen before. 

“Right... Iruka. I’m Tsunade. Who are they?” She asked, nodding at Kotetsu and Izumo who were starting to get boxes out of the van. 

“My friends, they’re helping me move in. I can... move in today, right?” He seemed unsure, this wasn’t going smoothly. She looked into the entryway and then back at Iruka. 

“Of course,” she said defensively. The door opened into a hallway with a staircase at the end and one door on the right. 

“So uh...my place is right here, first floor. You’re on the… third floor?” She looked at him for confirmation and he nodded. 

Iruka followed her up, noticing quite a bit of dust settled on the railing. 

“Does… anyone else live here?” He asked, being careful not to touch anything. 

“No, you’re the first tenant in… a while.” She replied, fishing some keys from her pocket and using them to unlock Iruka’s door. It was the top floor or the building, which was really more of a house. 

Once she opened the door, Iruka was both underwhelmed and scared to check inside. He could almost feel his throat begin to itch at the sight of all the dust and dirt. Something like rubble was strewn about the floor and counters with cobwebs in every conceivable corner. 

“Here you are… kitchen is that way, the bedroom is there… don’t try and light a fire in that fireplace, it’s been sealed up.” She explained quickly. Iruka swallowed thickly, not wanting to let her see his emotions. He wasn’t upset, just a little disappointed. 

The living room was on the left, and the bedroom and bathroom were at one end of that. To the right was the kitchen and a broom closet. As soon as you walk in there was another door, however, that seemed to be a continuation of the staircase. 

“I thought this was the top floor of the building…” he said as he opened it. A staircase ascended into darkness, and even when he squinted he couldn’t see anything at the top. 

“It is,” She said and came to stand beside him. “There used to be another floor, but it was demolished when there was construction done,” They both looked up into the darkness together for a moment. 

“Oh,” is all he could think to say, and he shut the door. 

“Bring your first month of rent and the deposit down to me by Monday,” she said and he nodded. “Here’s your key, don’t lose it.” 

Iruka took the key and thanked her before she descended and disappeared. 

Her presence was soon repacked by Kotetsu with an armful of cardboard box. 

“Woah, your landlady has huge knockers,”. 

“Really, Ko?” Izumo said from close behind. 

“Well someone had to say it,” he excused, and set his box down. “Yeesh, this place is… in pretty rough shape,” Seeing Iruka’s face made him change his tune. “But nothing a little elbow grease can’t fix, right?” 

They unloaded the van with ease, and Iruka realized he didn’t own very much now that it was all spread out in front of him. He had brought his mattress, but no box spring or headboard, so it sat on the ground. His couch was still in its box and needed to be assembled. 

They spent a few hours putting together the frame and writing a list of things to buy. Turns out Iruka had forgotten a lot of essentials. 

Around dinner time Kotetsu and Izumo left to return the van and head home. They promised him they would be back for a proper celebratory meal sometime soon. 

With a long hug and only a few tears they said goodbye, leaving Iruka alone for the first time is a very long time. 

Living in a big city he rarely had the option of being alone. He worked in an office, he took the subway everywhere, and up until now he had lived with two people who had no problem popping in on him in the shower. 

He felt slightly panicky, but tried to calm himself by rolling up his sleeves and getting to work fixing up the place he would be calling home. 

 

\--

By the time Iruka had made any progress on cleaning up his new home he was covered from head to toe in dust and cobwebs with his hands nearly pink from all the bleach and harsh chemicals he had been scrubbing with.

As worn out as he felt though, there was still a long way to go. The kitchen and bathroom were now clean, but didn’t look any less terrifyingly glum. His bedroom was swept and mopped, and yet there was still a musty odor lingering in the air. He stuck a note on the fridge reminding himself to buy a candle while he was out. 

After taking the overfull bags of garbage out to the dumpster and spending some time in a well deserved shower, Iruka slumped to his bed feeling somewhat accomplished. 

Before he could lie down however, he realized he needed sheets, or at the very least a blanket to use. With a grunt of annoyance Iruka went searching through boxes for his linens, getting more frustrated with each wrong box he opened. 

“Where the hell did Kotetsu put the damn box?” He shouted to no one. After he had exhausted every option, under the sink, the front closet, the weird crawl space under the staircase to nowhere, Iruka grumbled and grabbed the phone to call Kotetsu and demand he tell him the whereabouts of his blankets. 

Before he dialed though, as a last ditch effort he yanked open the weird staircase door and looked up into the pitch black. 

“That fucking asshole” 

Two boxes sat perched on the top step, and Iruka had no doubt about who put them there. “I’m gonna go hide some of his shit in dark creepy places and see how he likes it,” he fumed, anger driving out fear as he climbed the steps. 

The boxes weren’t heavy, just a few blankets and pillows, but it was cumbersome to walk down the stairs with them. With a satisfied rip he tore open the boxes, pulling clean sheets and pillows from within. He shoved his face in one an inhaled deeply, enjoying the lack of dust and mold. 

He set his bed quickly, leaving a few wrinkles in his wake but he didn’t care, he was exhausted. 

Before he slipped between the sheets though, Iruka shuddered, a cool breeze wrapping around him. 

Goosebumps rose on his neck, and he hugged his arms around himself, looking around for the source of the draft. 

He turned with a sudden chilling realization, and saw the staircase to nowhere, door still ajar. 

Another cool breeze brushed over him like the breath of some great dangerous beast, and he swallowed anxiously. The air felt thick, almost like water flowing around him. 

Iruka remembered as he looked into its black depths that the door wasn’t supposed lead to anywhere, there should just be a brick wall behind it. There was no reason for there to be a draft, let alone one so ominous. 

Instead of closing the door, he took a breath and started ascending, the creaking of the wood an unwelcome guest. 

At the top he could see a small amount of blue-ish light emanating from whatever was behind the door. The air in the staircase was cold and thick and sweet, Iruka could almost taste it with every breath. 

When he tried the doorknob it wouldn’t budge, so he got on his knees and tried to peek through the crack. It seemed almost like there was a lush carpet on the other side, but he couldn’t make out exactly where it led. 

Iruka considered that there was an additional room on the other side, maybe it was never fully demolished when the rest of the block was torn down. 

He tried to poke a finger under it, but to no avail. 

His sleepiness had suddenly vanished and it was replaced by curiosity. Iruka went and fetched a flashlight and a screwdriver to try and solve his little mystery. 

Able to fully inspect the door now, he noted a delicate swirling emblem that was carved into its center. The door seemed ancient, at least as old as the house, if not older. It was cool to the touch, which wasn’t surprising, however it seemed to thrum with life, which was very surprising. 

Iruka chalked it up to faulty wiring in the house. His screwdriver found no purchase on the door, there were no hinges of any kind attached to the oddity. A small keyhole sat under the knob, but there was no key to be found. 

Scratching his head, Iruka was at a loss. He went and sat on his bed, wondering what on earth could be on the other side of that door, and where the key might be. 

Iruka looked at his clock and winced, embarrassed by how late he’d stayed up over a silly curiosity. 

Relenting for the moment, Iruka went and shut the door to the stairs, effectively stopping the cool air. 

He slipped into bed and shut the light, falling asleep almost instantly.


	2. Chapter 2

Iruka yawned loudly as he placed a candle in his cart, walking lazily through the aisles of a supermarket. He was exhausted from his night spent playing detective but he needed to run errands more than he needed to sleep. 

Izumo had agreed to accompany him to the store and was going on and on about his latest project at work while Iruka nodded every so often. 

“Okay, that’s the last thing on my list for home goods, let’s head over to the grocery department,” Iruka said, crossing the items in the cart off of his list. 

“Oh, I don’t know what we’re gonna do now that we’re on our own. Kotetsu can’t grocery shop to save his life. Or cook. Or clean. Or remember to lock the door.” His friend complained in a mock cry, and Iruka chuckled. 

“I’m sure that you’ll survive. And I think the pros outweigh the cons of me leaving, think about it, now you two can fuck in every room of the apartment without worrying about me walking in,” 

“We already did that before,” He laughed as Iruka smacked him playfully on the arm. “Speaking of that, you wanna go out tonight?” 

“Sounds fun but I can’t, I have way too much to do still at my place,” it felt weird for Iruka to call it his own. 

“Boo, you’re no fun. You’re never gonna meet a guy if you don’t go out anywhere,” Iruka rolled his eyes, but silently agreed. He thought about the last time he’d been with someone, it was much too long ago. “Here, you’re gonna need some of this if you’re staying in,” Iruka was handed a bottle of lotion and looked at it in confusion for a moment before turning pink and throwing it back at a snickering Izumo. 

—

He lugged the groceries up three flights of stairs and into his apartment with Izumo‘s help. 

“Wow, you did a great job cleaning up in here. It almost looks livable,” 

He stayed to help put everything away and organize Iruka’s remaining boxes. With two people it went faster, they played some music while they worked, and then Iruka put water up for tea once they had been at it for a while.

“How was your first night in the new place?” He asked once they were sat on the couch, steaming tea in hand. 

“It was okay... “ he said and furrowed his brows, glancing at the door. “It turns out there’s something on the other side of that door upstairs... but I couldn’t open it,”

Izumo raised an eyebrow, looking over at the stairs himself. 

“How do you know there’s something behind it if you can’t open it?” He asked. 

“Well, it’s not boarded up for one, and last night there was this draft coming from the other side... and a light...” he recalled. 

“Was it maybe a street light from the other side?” 

“No, no... it was like... blue. And there was this carpet under the door, but too far away to touch.” 

“Hm, weird. And there’s no key around?” Iruka shook his head. “Ask your landlady, maybe she’ll know what’s up with the door,” 

Iruka wondered if Tsunade would, or if maybe she didn’t tell him on purpose. He hoped it wasn’t something dangerous, like faulty wiring or a meth lab. 

“Wanna order chinese? I don’t feel like cooking tonight,” Iruka asked with a sigh after they had finished their cups. 

“I would, but Kotetsu wants to go to the movies tonight, so I should get home soon...” he said, and Iruka frowned to himself, not looking forward to being alone in the empty apartment. 

“Next time then,” he said, and thanked Izumo for his help. 

After his friend had left he went back to cleaning, using a spare toothbrush to scrub at the grout in the kitchen. 

While he was on the floor he noticed small moving specks under the edge of the counter. 

Upon further inspection, he discovered that he had ants. With a sigh he killed all the bugs he could find, spraying bleach in the cracks of the walls, under any counter he could find. 

Once he couldn’t locate any more ants he went down to his landlady to let her know about the new problem. 

He knocked a few times and waited. After a few moments he knocked again. 

“Who’s there?” He heard Tsunade’s voice through the door. She sounded irritable tired, or drunk. 

“It’s Iruka... your tenant,” he answered meekly, scratching the back of his neck. 

The door swung open and Tsunade stood in front of him wearing another robe. Everything about her made Iruka feel small, and he thought she could probably tell. 

“Yes?” 

“I have ants,” he blurted out. She looked at him with a puzzled expression for a moment before managing to understand. 

“Wait here,” she said and walked away into her apartment, leaving the door ajar. Peeking inside, he saw a home filled with books and empty bottles of alcohol. There were few pictures or personal touches. It looked more like a hotel room than a home. There was a table just inside the door and on it sat a bowl with some change, a few pieces of candy, and some house keys.

One of the keys looked different though. It was wooden, which is why it stuck out to Iruka in the first place. The other reason is that it had a large swirling pattern on it that resembled his mysterious door. 

In a moment of impulse Iruka reached inside and grabbed the key from the bowl, shocking even himself. He nearly jumped once he had it, shoving it into his pocket frantically. His heart started to beat out of his chest and he immediately regretted it. 

What a stupid decision, he was going to get kicked out and he hadn’t even been there a week. Before he could get the stolen possession out of his pocket to put it back though, Tsunade returns with a big red can of bug killer.

“Here, don’t breathe this stuff in,” she said, and handed it to him. 

“T-Thanks,” he stuttered out, and turned to leave. 

She closed the door and he scrambled upstairs, guilt and nerves making him shake like a leaf in the wind. 

Once in his apartment he takes the key from his pocket and places it on the counter, wanting to get away from it. He chews at his lip, cursing himself for being so impulsive. 

He tried to think of an excuse for himself. “The door is in my apartment, shouldn’t I have the key to it?” He thought greedily, then groaned as the guiltiness returned. 

Remembering he had the can of bug killer in one hand, he remembered he would have to return it to her. A small shred of hope came from the realization that he might be able to put it back before she noticed. 

Quickly he got down and sprayed under the counters, coughing profusely as he inhaled the chemicals. His mouth tasted like death and he quickly ran to the sick to sip from the faucet. 

Iruka ran around the apartment spraying anywhere that bugs may be hiding, probably overdoing it if he was honest with himself. 

After he had left he apartment in a fog of spray, he picked up the key and raced back down the stairs. 

He knocked, hoping it didn’t sound too frantic. After some time he knocked again, feeling his pulse pick up. 

Then he noticed the note stuck to the door. 

“Iruka. Be back tomorrow,” 

 

He deflated, groaning with annoyance. Of course. 

Iruk slunked back upstairs and put the bug spray on the counter. With nothing else to do he fished the key from his pocket and examined it while he had a moment. 

It was bigger than a normal key, wooden, and had the same swirling pattern on its end. This one was painted red. 

He glanced at the door and knew in an instant that he was going to open it eventually, so he gave up on pretending he regretted taking the thing. This was the first interesting thing to happen to him in a long time. His job was boring, he had no one New in his life, and his new apartment turned out to be a dirty, lonely place he didn’t like. Iruka gripped the key tighter and felt himself almost choke up at how pathetic he felt, to be so excited over a locked door. 

Iruka opened the door and walked up the stairs, feeling the same cool breeze he had the night before. There was no fear this time, just the desire to get this over with so he could return the key and move on with his life. 

It fit into the lock smoothly, and when he turned it the door let out a satisfying, deep clicking noise. 

When he pushed it forward, it felt like there was something holding it shut, so he pressed harder, then harder still. A crack resounded and the frame of the door split. Iruka winced and regretted his carelessness, but pushed forward, and the door finally started to move. 

All of a sudden it gave way and opened, swinging out and letting Iruka tumble to the ground. 

He was shocked to feel a lush grass beneath him, not a ratty old shag carpet. In a second he was on his feet, and had to blink a few times to make sure he was seeing right. 

Trees, as far as he could see. So much green, and so much life. Iruka looked back at the door and then swiveled, feeling utterly helpless in a seemingly vast forest. The frame of the door seemed to be built into the side of a huge boulder, but that didn’t make any sense. After inspecting it thoroughly he realized that weeds and grass had grown over it and blocked it completely before he broke through. 

 

“What…where am I?” he whispered to himself, goosebumps traveling up his body. 

There was a blue glow that seemed to be everywhere, almost eerie and kind of beautiful, the way everything looks just before dawn. 

Iruka walked forward, feeling nearly drawn in by some force he couldn’t name. The dark sky was nearly blotted out by massive trees that were thicker than any Iruka had seen before. He touched one and felt it’s rough and ancient bark, awed by the fact that it was so real. 

He was convinced he had inhaled the bug killer and was hallucinating. He didn’t have a forest above his apartment, it was impossible. 

The grass was so thick and soft, he wanted to lie on it and breathe in the sweet, cool air around him. Everything about this strange world was intoxicatingly lucious. Iruka was at a loss, he felt sure it was a dream, but he’d never dreamt this vividly before. He couldn’t move, frozen to the spot with awe and fear of this bizarre place. 

Footsteps would go without sound against the thick underfoot, but Iruka heard voices approaching and almost cried out in surprise. 

“...I feel bad, really. It’s not the Lord’s fault and yet he is still being blamed after all this time,” Two men appeared from deeper in the woods, both dressed in dark armor with large spears strapped to their backs. “He’s suffering right along with the rest of us, you know?” One with dusty brown hair said. The other much larger man, had jet black hair shaped into a bowl cut and walked with his muscular arms crossed as he listened. 

“People will always look for someone to blame, unfortunately. Let’s just hope that they’re making progress before it’s too- ... “ He stopped. Iruka froze. “Hello there,” 

He didn’t answer, but took a step back. He wanted to run, but was morbidly curious about this dream world. 

“Where did you… “ The larger man looked to his companion, and they exchanged a strange look that had Iruka growing pale. “Sir, are you…” He seemed unable to compose his words, but stepped closer, making Iruka backpedal slightly. 

“Did you come through that door?” The shorter man interrupted. He seemed stricken with seriousness. 

Iruka nodded, afraid to lie to them. The dark and shining armor they wore was so unlike anything Iruka had ever seen. They had the same red swirling insignia on their arms that was on the door. 

“Please, come with us.” He said, but Iruka shook his head and backed away further, only a few steps from the doorway now. They looked at each other again. “I’m sorry, but you must. No harm will come to you, I promise,” 

Iruka’s heart started pounding and his fight or flight instinct was going wild. He balled his hands into fists, preparing to bolt down the stairs at any moment. He had a million questions racing through his mind, hating how real and scary the whole thing felt. Still convinced he was dreaming, Iruka tried to take a breath and remind himself not to be afraid. These two men were as impossible as the world they stood in, he couldn’t be scared of figments of his mind. 

“W-Who are you?” He asked. “Where is this?” Iruka hated how panicked his voice sounded, shaking wildly. 

“We are royal guards of Konoha. My name is Gai,” The larger one said with a deep bow. His partner looked wary about revealing his identity but tried to smile softly. “May I ask your name as well?” 

He swallowed thickly before replying. “Iruka Umino,” 

“Iruka Umino, if you would be so kind as to accompany us I can assure you no harm will come to you, I swear on my honor,” Gai said with an authoritative voice. 

“Why? Why should I come with you?” He wasn’t as afraid as he was a few moments before, but nowhere near trusting of the two men. 

“It’s more about the door than it is about you, if we’re being honest.” The shorter one said. Iruka felt a stab to his pride at that. He suddenly felt guilty, realizing he had broken the door in his haste. “Please, will you accompany us?” He asked again. Again, without much forethought, he nodded his agreement. 

Iruka stepped forward, steeling his nerves as he went with the two strangers into the forest. Looking back he saw the door, still slightly open, as it shrunk away into the darkness.


End file.
